Supreme Court puts off DACA decision again

The Supreme Court declined Monday to speed up consideration of President Trump’s move to phase out the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty.

Justice Department lawyers had asked the court late last month to advance the case, saying there’s more than enough confusion and action at the lower courts that the issue is ripe for settling by the justices.

But the justices disagreed, denying the petition without comment.

The high court has been reluctant to get involved in DACA, ignoring several entreaties by the Trump administration to step in early.

It’s possible the justices are giving Congress time to settle matters, if it can.

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was a creation of the Obama administration in 2012. It offers young adult illegal immigrant “Dreamers” an amnesty from deportation, Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, and some taxpayer benefits.

President Barack Obama had repeatedly said he didn’t have the power to enact such a program — then reversed himself in the run-up to the 2012 election, as he worried about slipping support among Hispanic activists.

His administration announced the policy in a memo, sidestepping all the usual regulatory hoops.

Two federal district judges have said the program was illegal, though none have actually enjoined it.

President Trump in 2017 announced a phaseout — again sidestepping the usual regulatory hoops.

Two federal district judges have said the program was likely illegal, though none have actually halted it.

Predicting an eventual adverse ruling, President Trump in 2017 announced a phaseout — again sidestepping the usual regulatory hoops.

Federal judges across the country ruled that phaseout illegal, and ordered him to restart the program, at least for those already covered by it. More than 600,000 Dreamers are protected.

While the high court rejected the petitions to speed the DACA decision, the request is still pending to hear the case in the normal order of its business.